Lin-Manuel Miranda mulling In the Heights delay due to coronavirus pandemic

Lin-Manuel Miranda is considering delaying the release of the movie adaptation of his musical In The Heights as the coronavirus pandemic is slowing down post-production.

Before writing and performing in Hamilton made him a superstar, Miranda took In the Heights to Broadway and earned widespread acclaim. He has since shot a new movie version with director Jon M. Chu.

However, he said they may struggle to have it ready for its slated July 26, 2020, as there’s still work to be done on the score – and the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns could slow work.

In a live stream interview with Rosie O’Donnell for what was billed as an online version of her daytime talk show on Sunday night (March 22, 2020), the Mary Poppins Returns star said “a lot that remains to be done” on the movie.

“We were literally recording the score when all of this started happening,” he explained. “There’s a lot that remains to be done on that movie. We were finishing the score and the mixing and just getting the music exactly right.”

Cinemas across the world have shut down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Miranda’s desire for a proper theatrical release for the movie is also a factor in a possible delay.

“I’m really hopeful that that’s something we all get to watch in the theatres together – when it’s time, and no sooner, to go out,” he added.

Blockbusters including the new James Bond movie No Time to Die and the ninth instalment in the Fast and the Furious franchise have all had their debuts delayed as governments around the world attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus.